The IRS encourages its various partners and stakeholders to reach out to the public to provide information on the law. This page contains IRS marketing products that partners and stakeholders may find useful in their outreach efforts.Flyers in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese

The IRS encourages its various partners and stakeholders to reach out to the public to provide information on the law. This page contains IRS marketing products that partners and stakeholders may find useful in their outreach efforts.Flyers in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese

IR-2009-76, Aug. 21, 2009  The IRS now has channels on Youtube and Itunes featuring products to help taxpayers take full advantage of the 2009 tax provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

There are lots of benefits for you and your employees in setting up a retirement plan. Get information on common retirement plan options to help you choose a plan right for your business. If you already have a retirement plan, get information on maintaining that plan and correcting common plan errors.

Volume 274: COBRA subsidy recipients who later become eligible for insurance coverage should notify their former employer to avoid a penalty

Technical Guidance

Revenue Procedure 2009-41 provides guidance with regard to eligible entities seeking relief to file late classification elections. Generally, the revenue procedure provides late relief if the request is filed within 3 years and 75 days of the requested effective date of the eligible entity's classification. The revenue procedure also provides guidance for those eligible entities that do not qualify for relief under this revenue procedure.

Revenue Procedure 2009-39 discusses changes in accounting periods and in methods of accounting. It will be published in IRB 2009-38 dated Sept. 21, 2009.

Notice 2009-69 clarifies section D of Notice 2009-28 (2009-24 I.R.B.1082, published on June 15, 2009), which provided guidance to employers seeking to claim the Work Opportunity Tax Credit on two targeted groups added by new §51(d)(14). Notice 2009-69 explains that not readily employable by reason of lacking a sufficient number of basic skills" includes individuals who have worked occasionally since high school graduation / receipt of GED certificate. Notice 2009-69 also provides extended transition relief for filing of Form 8850.

Senator Tom Udall chaired the hearing on behalf of Chairman Byron Dorgan. In his opening statement, Senator Udall explained that tribal health programs are being reviewed by the IRS in order to determine if they should be treated as taxable income. He explained that tribal governments are providing relief to its communities because of the failures of the Indian health care system and indicated that the Federal government should not penalize tribal governments for filling a void that the Federal government has failed to provide.

In her testimony, TEGE Commissioner Sarah Hall Ingram noted that the tax rules that apply to health care provided by tribal governments are the same rules that have existed for decades and that apply to such care and benefits provided by non-tribal governments, including federal, state, and local authorities. TEGE Commissioner Ingram further added that there are no special tax rules that apply uniquely to tribal government health care programs.

During the hearing, many of the witnesses explained the failures of the Indian health care system and argued that health benefits provided by tribal governments should not be taxed or included for purposes of gross income. TEGE Commissioner Ingram explained the challenges facing the IRS with respect to understanding and administering appropriately the "general welfare exclusion," adding that the IRS needs to be careful in ensuring that all governments are treated equally. She further added that it would be in the best interest of both the administrators and the community to have as much clarity as possible. Upon conclusion of the hearing, Senator Udall commented that Indian tribes need clearer guidance on this issue before IRS audits continue.

In his opening statement, Chairman Max Baucusstressed the importance of job creation in a job market where 3 million job openings exist for the current 15 million unemployed and the need for unemployment insurance help sustain small businesses, the housing market and the U.S. economy. Chairman Baucus stated that he expected the House to send over an unemployment insurance benefits bill at the end of the month and anticipated that the Finance Committee would be reporting out a bill shortly.

Committee members asked questions related to one witness' assertion that unemployment insurance benefits dis-incentivized unemployed workers and the current state of the job market where job vacancies out-number jobless workers by five to one. Many of the witnesses supported extending unemployment insurance benefits into 2010.

Nomination Update

On Wednesday, September 16th, the White House announced the nomination of Michael Mundaca as the Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy.

On Wednesday, September 16th, Sen. Max Baucus unveiled the Chairman's Mark of the "America's Healthy Future Act of 2009,"which includes an excise tax on high cost insurance; a deduction for health insurance cost of self-employed individuals; a requirement for employer health insurance reporting on the Form W-2; modifications to Health Savings Accounts; limitations on flexible spending arrangements under cafeteria plans; and additional requirements for 501(c)(3) hospitals, which would require the IRS to review information about a hospital's community benefit activities at least once every three years. Attached is an Overview of the tax-related provisions in the Chairman's Mark.